And william



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. WESTINGHOUSE 8a W. CHAPMAN. ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

No. 595,008. Patented Dec. 7,1897.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets--Sheet 2.

G. WESTINGHOUSE & W. CHAPMAN.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

PatentediDec. 7,1897.

( No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

G. WESTINGHOUSE 8: W. CHAPMAN. ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

No. 595,008. Patented Dec. 7, 1897.

ATTORNEY.

n: uonms versus co, worou'mo WASNINGYON o c UNiTnD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE \VESTINGIIOUSE, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, AND WILLIAM CHAPMAN,OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE ELECTItO-MAGNETICTRACTION COMPANY, OF WASHINGTON, DIS- TRICT OF COLUMBIA.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,008, dated December7, 1897. Application filed October 31, 1896. Serial No 610,750. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE WEsrINe- HOUSE, residing at Pittsburg,Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, and WVILLIAM CHAP- MAN, residing at\Vashington, District of Columbia, citizens of the United States, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Railways, (Case No.716,) of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to electric railways, and has particular referenceto that class of railways in which the current for operating thecar-motors is transmitted thereto from a buried or insulatedsupply-conductor through sectional or isolated working conductors whichare connected in circuit only during the time that the car is passingover them, as distinguished from those systems in which theoperating-current is supplied to the carnlotors directly from a livesupply-conductor through traveling contact devices making engagementtherewith.

The object of our invention is to provide a simple, efiioient, andcomparatively inexpensive means whereby a system like that aboveindicated may be adapted to conditions of operation which are involvedin the movement of heavy loads at high rates of speed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse section, and Fig.2 a diagrammatical plan view, of a railway constructed in accordancewith our invention. Fig. 3 is a view, partiallyin end elevation andpartially in section, of two contact-rails and the supporting devicestherefor. Fig. 4 is a view, partially in side elevation and partially insection, of a portion of a contact-rail and its supporting means. Fig. 5is a plan view of a portion of a contact-rail and its supportingdevices, parts being broken away. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of aportion of a contact-rail, one of its supporting devices, and afastening device of modified construction. Fig. 7 is a sectional Viewtaken on line x 00 of Fig. 6. Figs. 8 and 9 are views corresponding toFigs. 6 and 7 and showing a further modification of rail-fasteningdevice. Figs. 10 and 11 are corresponding views showing a modified formof contact-rail.

Reference being now had to the details of construction illustrated inFigs. 1 to 5 of the drawings, 1 are the track-rails, and 2 the ties uponwhich the rails are supported.

3 is a switch-box preferably located at one side of the track, asindicated in Fig. 1, and 4. designates the switch-pan and cover locatedin the said box.

The parts thus far described are of usual construction.

The switches 5, which are located in the boxes 3, are provided withcoils 5 and 5 the latter being traversed by current transmitted from thegenerator 6 through the supply-conductor 6 when the circuit is closed bymeans of current transmitted through the coil 5, as is usual in thisclass of railways.

7 are the contact-rails, each of which is formed of angle-iron so placedthat it has downwardly-sloping sides, making approximately the sameangle with the horizontal. 7o

This general form is employed in order that the rail may readily shedrain, snow, dirt, &c., and it is obvious that the angle between the twosides may be different from that shown, if desired. '75

The rails 7 are made in sections, which are preferably separated bysuitable insulating material 7, as indicated in Fig. 2, and the coils 5and 5 of the switches 5 are connected to said sections by means ofconductors '7 and 7, the ends of which may be bolted to saidrail-sections, as indicated in Fig. 1, or otherwise fastened thereto.The length of these rail-sections may be varied to suit differentworking conditions, and if a greater length of section is desired thancan be procured in the market the rails may be welded togetherelectrically or otherwise after being placed in position, as will bereadily understood. In order to provide firm supports for 0 thesecontact-rails and at the same time permit of such longitudinal movementthereof as is caused by expansion and contraction under varyingtemperatures, we mount them upon contact-blocks 8 of insulatingmaterial, 5 terra-cotta being suitable for this purpose. The upper sidesof the blocks 8 conform in shape to the inner or lower side of the rails7, and their bases are preferably extended somewhat laterally, asindicated in Fig. 3. I00

A metal base plate or frame 8 is provided with chambers of suitable sizeto receive the enlarged bases of the blocks 8, said blocks projectingthrough suitable openings in the tops of such chambers. These plates orbases 8 are designed to be bolted to the ties 2, a sufficient numberbeing employed to afford a stable support for the contact-rails 7. Inorder that the rails may be securely clamped to the supporting-blocks 8in such manner as to prevent any lateral displacement and at the sametime permit of such longitudinal movement as is caused by expansion andcontraction of the metal, we provide each block with a rod or bolt 9,which extends longitudinally through it and is provided at its ends withsuitable means for clamping the lower edges of the rail to the block.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 5 of the drawings twoclamping-dogslO of like form are employed at each end of each block 8.Each of these dogs 10 is provided at its inner end with an approximatelypearshaped eye 11, materially larger than the cross-sectional area ofthe rod 9. The outer end of each dog 10 is provided with a lateralprojection 12, which engages the lower edge of the rail 7. A pair ofwedges 13 are inserted between the rod 9 and the inner peripheries ofthe eyes 11 at opposite sides of said rod and are preferably connectedto or formed integral with a head 14. The ends of the rod 9 arescrew-threaded, and nuts 15 are screwed thereon against the head 15 toforce the wedges inward and thus draw the outer ends of the dogs 10inward toward each other and clamp the rail 7 firmly in position uponthe supporting-block 8.

In the construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the rail 7 and block 8 arethe same as those hereinbefore described and are fastened together bymeans of a rod 16, which extends through the block 8 and hasupwardly-bent ends which are formed to fit the under side of thecontact-rail and are fastened tothe rail by means of rivets, as shown.If desired, the rod may be riveted to the rail at only one end and mayextend only partially through the block 8, or two bent rods may beemployed in lieu of one.

In Figs. 8 and 9 the rail 7 is shown as fastened to the block 8 by meansof a clamp comprising two blocks 17, a bolt 9, extending through them,and a nut 15. The rail 7 is drilled to receive the ends of the pins 17,with which the blocks 17 are provided, and the ends of the pins arebeveled, so as to be flush with the outer surfaces of the rails.

In Figs. 10 and 11 we have shown a contactrail 7, formed ofchannel-iron, and a supporting-block 8 so formed at its top as to fitthe under surface of the rail. The clamping means is the same as thatshown in Figs. 8 and 9, except that the blocks 17 and pins 17 c aremodified in form sufficiently to fit the rail 7 The constructionillustrated and described is intended for systems in which thetrackrails are utilized as the return. It will be understood, however,that either a direct or an alternating current system in which threecontact-rails are employed is within our invention. It will also beunderstood that clamping devices for holding the contact-rails inposition upon their supporting-blocks different from those shown may beemployed and that other details of construction may be varied withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of our invention.

We claim as our invention- 1. In an electric railway, a contact-railformed of channel or angle iron, in combination with insulatingsupporting-blocks and longitudinally-extending rods or bolts, one foreach block, provided with laterally-extending clamping devices, wherebythe rail is held against lateral movement.

2. An electric railway provided with a plurality of lines of sectional,inverted, troughshaped contact-rails, the sections of which areinsulated from each other, stationary, insulatin g supporting-blocks forsaid rail-sections and clamps for holding said sections against lateraldisplacement.

3. In an electric railway, a contact-rail formed of channel or angleiron and insulating supports therefor each of which has a bolt or rodextending longitudinally through it, in combination with clampingdevices connecting the ends of said bolt or rod with the sides or edgesof said contact-rail.

4:. In an electric railway, a contactrail formed of angle-iron incombination with insulating supporting-blocks therefor each of which isprovided with a rod or bolt projecting from its ends, a pair ofclamping-dogs connecting each end of said rod or bolt with therespective lower edges of the contact-rail and wedges interposed betweenthe inner ends of said dogs and said rod.

5. In an electric railway, a contact-rail formed of angle-iron incombination with supporting-blocks each of which is provided with ascrew-threaded rod projecting from its ends, a pair of clamping-dogs ateach end of each supporting-block the inner ends of which are providedwith elongated eyes for the reception of said rod and the outer ends ofwhich grip the respective lower edges of the contactrail, wedgesinserted in said eyes and nuts on said rod for forcing said wedgesinward.

6. A clamping-dog provided with an approximately pear-shaped eye at oneend and with a gripping projection at its other end.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names this 23d dayof October, A. D. 1896.

GEO. WESTINGHOUSE. WILLIAM CHAPMAN. Witnesses:

WESLEY G. CARR,- HUBERT C. TENER.

